Your Company Ready For a Website?

Your Company Ready For a Website?

For many companies, creating a website is an important step in your online marketing campaign. However, much like with social media presence, it can be counter-productive to do something simply because so many other businesses are doing so. All decisions must be considered in terms of pros and cons for your business, which may lead to conclusions that aren’t as obvious but will be more tailored to your company needs.

To this end, Copybook is honestly looking at the practical pros and cons relating to the creation and maintenance of a company website. This isn’t a jump that should be taken lightly.

Pro: You Are “Out There”

As many businesses would rightly point out, you have to play the game in order to win. Online business is now a huge section of many sectors and it would be naïve at best to simply ignore the changes that are likely taking place. How much does online marketing raise every year and how much of that did you get to enjoy?

Con: Do You Know How to be Found?

Getting online does not automatically mean that your website will be easily discovered, not even by those purposefully looking for your company. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a field that companies dedicate entire departments to but – depending on your size – you may find yourself unable to compete. There’s even the danger of companies like Google penalising your company if you’re not up-to-date with their terms of use.

Pro: You Can Easily Inform People About Company Updates

With your own website you can easily update your followers on new products and services. You can present your products in an attractive way that will easily facilitate new business. New company videos? Images? How-to articles and press releases? There’s now a place to put all of them!

Con: Do You Have The Time or Manpower to Regularly Update?

We’ve all seen company websites where the latest update was more than a year ago, celebrating the release of their new website. Many businesses set up a website with the best of intentions but soon find that the website takes a backseat to the other necessities of the business, meaning that it simply never gets the attention it needs. If you’re a company that is already producing content such as videos and press releases then having your own website can be essential but creating a website without thinking about how you will fill it can lead to thin and unengaging sites.

Pro: You Look Tech Savvy

Even if you have a website that isn’t updated regularly, no one will doubt that you’re part of the tech revolution when you’ve made the effort to create it.

Con: Are You Actually Tech Savvy?

Creating a website means that you’ll need to buy a domain name, hosting and a decision on how you’ll be managing content. Even easily accessible software like WordPress, which is one of the most user friendly options available, requires knowledge in hosting and tech that can be beyond some. A resolution for this can be to hire a developer in-house, but this could be an expensive requirement – especially if you’re not sure how much additional revenue a website can realistically generate.

Online Options for Company Websites

Jumping straight into creating a whole new website can be the ideal resolution for some companies but it isn’t the only option available:

Free Website Hosting

You can host your website on a free online service, although you’re likely to find customisation options limited. This can be a great baby-step for some companies that aren’t sure if they’re ready for the plunge.

Micro Site on Copybook

Copybook offers a location for all business promotion, from press releases and galleries through to videos and introductions. And, with a Copybook+ package, you can also enjoy SEO optimised content and regular updates from your content managers.

Social Media

If you have a successful social media channel then don’t assume that creating a website is a necessary next step. Your Facebook or Twitter page may be getting excitement from those that prefer to engage via those platforms, meaning that you don’t need to do anything else.

Conclusion

Creating your own complete website really isn’t the only way to promote yourself online and foster new relationships. If you’re interested in learning more about affordable online marketing then why not create a free profile with Copybook and see what we can do for you?